Knitting-machine.



W. A. INGALLS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4.1912,

ZSHIIETB-SHBET 1` Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

' MORRIS PETERS W. A. INGALLS. KNITTING MACHINE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 ll ll Ll Z? 6 2222/512151? Zyl/2.95555 i 2@ Maf/@0 f ma@ @far/7551 WTTED STATES PATENT @FETCH WILLIS A. INGALLS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Application led May 4, 1912.

To all 'whom Aif may concern:

Be it known that I, `W1LL1s A.VINGALLS, a subject of George the Fifth, King of England, residing in Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines; and l hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same,

My invention relates to the mechanism for mounting and operating the needle in knitting machines. In these machines as heretofore made the needle and needle plate are subject to excessive friction and consequent wear and breakage, due to the manner in which the needles are mounted and actuated. The needles are mounted in slots in the needle plate or dial and the projecting shank of the needle actuated by cams suitably mounted and operated without support for the shank of the needle, except such as it receives from the sides of the slot in the dial or needle plate. In some machines the depth of the slot has been increased beyond the thickness of the needle so as to allow the side of the projecting shank of the needle to have bearing surface against the sides of the slots in the dial, while in other machines other devices have been used to give greater bearing surface to the sides of the needle to prevent the needle from yielding in the direction of the motion of the cam causing it to bind in its slot and shear olf the shank of the needle.

The object of my invention is to so mount and operate the needle that the bearing sur face thereof, and of the needle plate in which it is mounted, and also that part of the needle through which motion is imparted, (hereinafter referred to as its shank,) shall not be subjected to the wear and strain incident to the present method of operating' needles.

My invention consists inthe usual slotted or grooved needle plate, in which needles are mounted in the usual manner, and an auxiliary needle plate so mounted with reference to the needle plate proper that the outer end of the projecting shank of the needle is supported by corresponding slots or grooves in the auxiliary needle plate, and in this manner held rigidly against the actuating cam, thereby obviating the strain and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

serial No. 695,203.

resulting friction and wear in the slot ofV and conveying motion to the needles in the manner hereinafter described.

The idea or conception of supporting the outer end of the shank of the needle and one method of embodying it are shown in my application for Letters Patent filed June 5, 1909, Serial No. 500,547, Letters Patent, No. 1,025,470, issued to me May 7, 1912, and the invention herein described, in addition to the central idea of supporting the outer end of the needle shank, shown in both applications, consists in the mechanism for imparting motion to the needle in that class of machines where the needle dial revolves and the cams are held stationary as distinguished from the former application wherein the needle plates are held stationary and motion is imparted to the needle by the movement of the cam plate and cams.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional side elevation. Fig. 2 is a view of the under side `of the auxiliary needle plate, showing cams and a section of cam plate, taken from line Il, II, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a developed sectional view of the vertical auxiliary cam plate, taken from line 1H, IH Fig. 1, and showing cams and section of cam ring and annular ring or plate K. Figs. el and 5 show details of the hori- Zontal and vertical needle plates. taken from lines IV, IV, and V, V, Fig. 1. Fig. 0 shows detail of rollers and support for conveying motion from the vertical to the horizontal needle plate, with fabric passing down between the rollers. Fig. 7 shows modified form of needle shank, such as may be used in my machine, but forms no part of my invention.

A is the frame of the machine.

B is the central vertical shaft mounted in the center and forming the axis of the machine.

C is the horizontal needle plate and D is the auxiliary horizontal needle plate.

E isV the vertical cylindrical needle plate and F the auxiliary vertical needle plate.

The horizontal cam plate C is loosely mounted on the shaft B and is supported by the collar or flange ZJ rigidly mounted on the shaft B and an annular ring b1 resting on and Vsecurely fastened to the collai` or flange The annular ring b3 is rigidly attached to the horizontal needle plate C by screws b4. The auxiliary horizontal needle plate D is loosely mounted on the shaft B, resting on the hub of the needle plate C and secured thereto by screws c1. In the upper surface of the horizontal needle plate C are the slots c, (Figs. l and 4,) and in the lower surface of auxiliary needle plate D are the slots d (Figs. 1,2 and 4,) and resting in the slots care the needles I with their Shanks 7l projecting into and adaptedv to engage the corresponding slots (Z in the needle plate D. Mounted in the needle plate C is the annular cam ring H, having teeth h2 on its inner surface adapted to engage the teeth Ll of the gear li. The shaft J passes vertically through the needle plate C with the pinion L rigidly attached to its upper end and the pinion vjl rigidly attached to its lower end. The teeth y' of the pinion jl are adapted to engage the inner toothed surface 62 of the annular ring b1. Mounted on the upper side of the camring H are the cams h3 secured thereto by the screws h4, the cams being adapted to extend outwardly between the needle plate Cand the auxiliary needle plate l) and force the shank z' of the needle I outward. Mounted onv the lower outer surface of the cam plate Gr are the cams g secured thereto by the screws g1, the cams being adapted to come in contact with the shank z' of the needle I and force the needle inward. On the lower surface of the needle plate C is the projecting lug c2 supporting the pin 03 and roller c4 mounted `on'the latter. The object of this roller and its Asupports is to convey motion to the needle plate C from the corresponding lug and roller on the vertical cylindrical needle plate E.

The vertical cylindrical needle plate E and auxiliary needle plate'F are mounted on the annular plate or ring K and rigidly secured thereto by the screws e, f, respectively. The annular ring or plate K is fitted in the inner and lower side of the frame A of the machine and adapted to revolve therein. It is held in place by the small annularring 7o, by the screws cl, (Fig. l) and has a toothed surface 7a2, adapted to engage the toothed surface of the pinion U hereinafter described. The outer surface of the cylindrical needle plate E is provided with slots orl grooves ell (Figs. l and 5) adapted to receive the needles M, and the inner surface of the vertical needle plate F is provided with corresponding slots or grooves f1 adapted to engage the outer end of the shank m of the needle M. Mounted on top of the inner side of the frame A is an annular ring N resting on the lug n and held rigidly in place by the screws al. The annular ring N is toothed on its lower surface, the teeth a2 beingadapted to engage the teeth of the pinion C. Mounted on the ring N is the cam plate P secured to N by the screws n3. The came p are mounted on the inner surface of the top of the cam ring P by the screws p1, `the cams being adapted to engage the shank met' the needle M and force the needle downward. Mounted between the needle plate E and the needle plate Fis the cam ring Q having a toothed surface Q adapted to engage the teeth r of the pinion R. The pinion R and the pinion C are rigidly mounted on Ythe horizontal shaft S, which is in turn loosely mounted inthe lower part of the needle plates E and F. The cams Q1 are'mounted on the inner side of the cam Q by the screws Q2, the cams being adapted to engage the shank m of the needle M and force the needle upward. The 'lug e2 attached to the cam ring E supports a roller e3 (Figs. 1 and 6) and the roller engages the corresponding roller c* revolving theneedle plate C in unison with the needle plate E, the object of the rollers being to permit the finished work to pass down between them as will be readily understood by those slilfed inthe art. rlhe shaft T is suitablyy mounted in the frame of the machine and is provided with loose and drivingv pulleys in the usual manner and has at its inner end abevel gear U with toothed surface u of the gear engaging the toothed surface 762 of the ring or'plate K imparting motion to the latter.

The frame of the machine, A, is stationary and the central vertical shaft B being rigidly mounted therein is also stationary. Motion is impartedV to the needles M through the revolving of the shaft T; its gear U to the annular plate or ring K, and thence to the vertical cylindrical needle plates E and-F. The cam ring l? is'held stationary through its fastening to the frame A, while the cam ring Q is held stationary by means of the gear C, shaft S and gear R. As the needle plates E and F revolve the contact between the toothed surfaces of the pinion C and the lower side of the ring N revolve the shaft S and the pinion R, which in turn through the toothed surface ofthe lower side of the cam ring Q will maintain the position of the latter to correspond with the fixed position of the cam plate P. ln this manner the needles M revolving with the needle plate E are brought into contact with the cams on the respective cam rings. The contact with the cams 10 forces the needles downward, while the Contact with the cams g1, in turn, forces the needles upward. Motion is imparted to the needle plate C through the lug c2, the rollers e3 and c and the lug c2. rlhe auxiliary needle plate D receives its motion through the needle plate C and screws c1. rlhe cam plate G isiirmlv mounted on the stationary shaft B.. The annular ring b1 remains stationary, being rigidly fastened to the stationary shaft B. The revolving o' the-needle plate C causes the pinion y', by reason of its contact with the toothed inner surface b2 of the ring b1, to revolve ca rying with it the shaft J and the pinion 7L, which in turn, by contact with the toothed surface h2 of the cam ring H causes the cams its to remain in a stationary position corresponding to the stationary position ot the cams g on the cam plate G. The revolving Y oit the needle plate therefore brings the shank Q' of the needles l int-o contact alternately with the cams g forcing the needles inward and the cam h3 forcing the needles outward and so completing the movement of the needles.

The mechanism herein described is particularly efficient in doing very ine work. ln this character of work the points of the needles are necessarily very close together, and when the slot and needle have become worn, even a slight twist in the needle is sutlicient to cause the outer end of the needle to come in contact with the opposing needle, breaking the needles. More 'frequently the material is cut by the contact of the needles, causing the machine to drop stitches and make holes in the garment and this results in a great amount of waste. `With my invention the needle is held rigidly in position and the point of the needle may come in very close proximity to the opposing needle without danger ot coming in Contact with it, or near enough to it to injure the terial.

From the foregoing specifications and drawings it will be readily understood that my invention may be applied to so-called flat knitting machines as easily as it is to circular machines, and the necessary mechanical changes will readily suggest' themselves to any person skilled in the art to which it appertains. lt is also apparent that the outer end or" the shank of the needle need not be held in the particular manner or by the mechanism herein shown and that any desired means of supporting the outer end of the shank of the needle may be employed and be within my invention. lt is also apparent that any form ot needle shank may be used in my invention, Whether an integral part of the needle or separate therefrom.

Having described my invention, claim:

l. ln a circular knitting machine the combin tion o1 a rotary horizontal dial needle plate having slots or grooves for the reception of the needles, an auxiliary rotary horizontal dial needle plate mounted oppo- Y site thereto and provided with slots or grooves corresponding to thoseV of the needle plate, needles mounted in said needle plate and having shanks projecting into and adapted to engage the grooves of the auX- iliary needle plate, acircular cam plate mounted above said needle plates with its outer edge projecting downward and adapted to support cams, cams secured to the circular cam plate and adapted to -torce the shank of the needles inward, an annular cam ring mounted in the needle plate and adapted to support cams, cams securedto the annular cam ring and adapted to lorce the shank of the needles outward, and means for holding the cam plate and cam ring in the same relative positions while the needle plate and auxiliary needle plate revolve for the purpose set forth.

2. ln a circular knitting machine the combination of a vertical rotary cylindrical needle plate having in its outer surface vertical slots or grooves :tor the reception of needles, an auxiliary rotary cylindrical needle plate mounted outside of the needle plate and having in its inner surface vertical slots or grooves corresponding to those in the needle plate, needles mounted in the slots or grooves of the cylinder and havingV Shanks adapted to engage the slots or grooves in said auxiliary cylinder, a cylindricalV cam ring mounted outside the needle plates and adapted to support cams at its upper end, cams mounted on the upper end ot said cam ring and adapted to force the shank of the needles downward, an annular cani ring mounted between the needle plate and the auxiliary needle plate, cams mounted on said cam ring and adapted to 'force said cams upward and means for holding said cam rings in the same relative position while the needle plate and auxiliary needle plate are revolved, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a circular knitting machine the comloination of the rotary horizontal dial needle plate C having slots or grooves for the reception ot the needles, an auxiliary rotary horizontal dial needle plate D mounted opposite thereto and provided with slots or grooves corresponding to those of the needle plate, needles mounted in said needle plate and having Shanks projecting into and adapted to engage the grooves of the auxiliary needle plate, a circular cam plate G mounted above said needle plates with its outer edge projecting downward and adapted to support cams g, cams g secured to the circular cam plate G and adapted to torce the shank ot the needles inward, an annular cam ringl H mounted in the needle plate C, and adapted to support cams 71,3, cams h3 secured to the upper side of the annular cam ring and adapted to force the shank of the needles outward, the annular ring .7)1, with the toothed inner surface b2, gears h1 and jl mounted on a shaft J and adapted to respectively engage the toothed surfaces of the annular ring b1 and the annular cam ring H and to hold them in Vthe saine relative position while the needle plates revolve, substantially as land for ther purpose specified.y n g v 4f. In a circular knitting machine the combination of the vertical rotary cylindrical needle plate E having in its outer surface vertical slots or O'rooves el for the rece tion p, cams p mounted on the upper end of cam ring P and adapted to force the shank or' the needles downward, an annular cam ring Q mounted between the needle 'plates E and l", earns g1 mounted on the inner surface of cam ring @L and adapted to force the shank of the needle upward, the annular ring N with its toothed surfacel n2, gears O and R rigidly mounted on shaft S and respectively engfagingw the toothed surfaces of ring N and cam ring Q, and adapted to hold them in the same relative position while the needle plates revolve, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof l hereunto set vmy hand at Cleveland, Ohio, this third day of May 1912.

' 'VVlLLlS A. NGALLS. In the presence of- EDITH PETERS, ALFRED CLUM.

Copies of this .patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

